Joshua 17: Manasseh's land, Zelophehad's daughters, and Joseph's complaint
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What happens?
Manasseh receives its lot: Machir, a man of war, already has Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan, and the other families of Manasseh receive land west of it. The daughters of Zelophehad remind Eleazar and Joshua that Yahweh commanded Moses to give them an inheritance, and they receive it among their father's brothers. The children of Joseph complain that one lot is too small for so large a people, and Joshua tells them to clear the forest of the hill country, and says they will drive out the Canaanites, who have chariots of iron.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. In verse 4 the daughters of Zelophehad speak: they repeat what Yahweh commanded Moses, so those are their words, not his, and no verse is in gold. In verses 14 to 18 the children of Joseph and Joshua speak in turn. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1This was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. As for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.
In plain English: This was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, because he was Joseph's firstborn. Machir, Manasseh's firstborn and the father of Gilead, was a man of war, so he received Gilead and Bashan.
Good to know: and tell how the children of Machir took Gilead, and how Moses gave Gilead to Machir.
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2So this was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, for the children of Helek, for the children of Asriel, for the children of Shechem, for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida. These were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
In plain English: So the lot was for the rest of the children of Manasseh, family by family: for the children of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, family by family.
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3But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
In plain English: But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.
Good to know: These five daughters first came to Moses in to , because their father had no sons. Yahweh said, "The daughters of Zelophehad speak right" (). adds that they were to marry within their father's tribe. Here they come to claim what was promised.
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4They came to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the princes, saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore according to the commandment of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
In plain English: They came to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the leaders (this Bible: princes), and said, "Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So, as Yahweh had commanded (literally: by the mouth of Yahweh), he gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers.
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5Ten parts fell to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan;
In plain English: Ten portions (literally: measuring lines) fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan,
The Hebrew word: "Parts" is chebel, which the dictionary gives as "a rope", "especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured)". The "part" in verse 14 is the same word: land measured out with a line.
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6because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.
In plain English: because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh's sons.
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7The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. The border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.
In plain English: Manasseh's border ran from Asher to Michmethath, which faces Shechem. Then the border went along to the right (that is, the south), to the people living at En Tappuah.
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8The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.
In plain English: The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah, on Manasseh's border, belonged to the children of Ephraim.
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9The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and ended at the sea.
In plain English: The border went down to the brook of Kanah, south of the brook. These towns belonged to Ephraim, among the towns of Manasseh. Manasseh's border was on the north side of the brook, and it ended at the sea.
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10Southward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east.
In plain English: The land to the south was Ephraim's and the land to the north was Manasseh's, and the sea was its border. They reached Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
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11Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in Asher Beth Shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns.
In plain English: In Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns (literally: its daughters), Ibleam and its towns, the people of Dor and its towns, the people of Endor and its towns, the people of Taanach and its towns, and the people of Megiddo and its towns: three heights (literally: the three of the height).
The Hebrew word: "Heights" is nepheth, which the dictionary gives as "a height". This is the only verse in the Bible that uses it.
What changes: Read as "three heights", the verse speaks of three hilly places among these towns. The Hebrew says "the three of the height", which can also be read as the name of a region. The text does not say which three it means.
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12Yet the children of Manasseh couldn’t drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
In plain English: Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the people of those towns. The Canaanites were determined (or: were content) to live in that land.
The Hebrew word: "Would" in "would dwell" is ya'al, which the dictionary gives as "to yield, especially assent; hence ... to undertake as an act of volition".
What changes: Read as "were determined", the Canaanites set their will on staying. Read as "were content" (the word this Bible uses in ), they were willing to stay. Either way, they stayed. uses the same word for the same towns.
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13When the children of Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out.
In plain English: When the children of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely (the Hebrew repeats the verb).
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14The children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me just one lot and one part for an inheritance, since we are a numerous people, because Yahweh has blessed us so far?”
In plain English: The children of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion (literally: one measuring line) as an inheritance, when we are a large people, because Yahweh has blessed us until now?" (The Hebrew says "I" and "me" all through: Joseph speaks as one.)
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15Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”
In plain English: Joshua said to them, "If you are a large people, go up into the forest and clear land (literally: cut down) for yourselves there, in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you."
The Hebrew word: "Clear land" is bara, the word for "created" in . The dictionary gives it as "to create", and also "to cut down (a wood)".
How it is translated: This Bible says "create" or a longer form in 35 of the 46 verses that use bara. In Joshua it is used only here and in verse 18, for cutting down the forest.
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16The children of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. All the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shean and its towns, and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.”
In plain English: The children of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have chariots of iron, both those in Beth Shean and its towns, and those in the valley of Jezreel."
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17Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, that is, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous people, and have great power. You shall not have one lot only;
In plain English: Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, "You are a large people, and you have great strength. You will not have only one lot,
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18but the hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest, you shall cut it down, and it’s farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”
In plain English: but the hill country will be yours. Though it is a forest, you will cut it down, and its farthest parts will be yours. For you will drive out the Canaanites, even though (or: because) they have chariots of iron, and even though (or: because) they are strong."
The Hebrew word: "Though" is the small word ki, which joins one thought to the next. It is used five times in this verse, and this Bible gives it as "but", "although", "for", and twice as "though". In verse 1 it gives the same word as "for" and "because".
What changes: Read as "though", Joshua says they will drive out the Canaanites in spite of their chariots and strength. Read as "because", he gives the chariots and strength as the reason the task lies before them.
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